Saturday, March 27, 2010

I guess one of the real problem with Malaysian Architecture is it lacks of publication even on the internet. I have been browsing for Malaysian architecture these few days and surprisingly I found that there are many amazingly great projects back home. I stumbled upon many photos of interesting designs that I wish I could dig further for my assignment. But it is frustrating that how brief most of the information is. I also wonder if having a website is such a big deal (expensive, is it?) since not many firms have a website, let alone a good one. Some websites I have to say are not inviting at all. Many use dark/navy blue as the primary color, why is it? I don’t hate blue, but it’s not tasty at all as an architecture website… I also found some real good architects who keep blogs, but the problem with a blog is, it depends on the updates. Therefore, even if it is a current project (since some projects run for years), but if the post was 7 months ago, the blog seems abandoned. Besides, it is hard to browse through projects (have to view old entries) especially when the layout is so poor. Also, I realize that Malaysian architects don’t really talk (publically) about others design except in AM (Architecture Malaysia). Talking about others design (even giving bad criticism) actually helps to advertise the works. I guess, we need more voluntary architecture critics back home. Haish, tak payah la melayu sangat… komen-komen cakap belakang buat apa… tulis laaa… bagi satu dunia baca, baru la famous….!

So… who designed this modern Bidayuh Baruk? Hands up!

For some reasons, that Baruk reminds me of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye… maybe the columns… hahahaa

Friday, March 26, 2010

“the person who reads too much and uses his brain too little will fall into lazy habits of thinking”

So yeah… I’ve been reading, as well as thinking… For some unexplainable state of mind, I started to feel the change in my architectural perception… I guess, the reading requirement for my current studio has sort of plays the biggest role in shuffling my mind back and forth, up and down, placing it in such a vulnerable position of perceiving architecture… Architecture to me is… ambiguous!

Anyway, I don’t feel like profoundly discussing all the philosophical architecture discourse that has been forcefully woven into my brain cells… but there is the idea of ‘horror vacui’ or fear of emptiness that struck me into thinking about the emptiness in life, and how much we always try to fill up the holes in our life with the unnecessary… and at the same time, there is this discussion regarding accepting and living the nothingness …

Looking at these two things from my personal point of view rather than architectural perspective, I feel extremely grateful to be someone who has a faith in my heart… Faith is the thing that cures the emptiness and denies the nothingness.

(I need to explain, whenever I mention about emptiness/nothingness in life, I am not referring to the absence of materials like money, jobs etc… it is more to the intangible life substances (emotions? feelings?) in our heart that gives some sort of meaning to life… for instances; hopes, ambition, love, memories,determination…)

Throughout life, there is desolation /rejection/ isolation/ etc that leads into the state of emptiness in life… and for some people, it is a great fear… on the other hand, some people, surprisingly accept it open-heartedly… but there is a question of happiness that I believe is a fundamental element of life… I wonder if we learn to accept that we have nothing for life and life has nothing for us, would make us happy… we would basically live in a daily basis, no concerns for tomorrow and yesterdays are all erased… I wonder if anyone could actually do that… but, if we are living in such manner, we are almost like zombies... and life would be so meaningless… this somehow reminds me of an atheist friend who used to ask me to pray for him saying how good it is to me because I have ‘something’…

Well, I would love to response to him that it was his decision at the first place to have ‘nothing’… butttt…. Yeah, it’s another story… so, if it’s not too vain… I would say that, there is no horror vacui in my life… and I reject the acceptance of nothingness… my point is, I always have my Lord, and I can always turn to Him anywhere and anytime… there is no single moment in my life that I ever experience complete emptiness (let alone to bother about nothingness), because I know that He is there… closer than the jugular veins… and, knowing that there is a super power above everything gives me the chance to remember the past, hope for tomorrows and cherish the present… MashaAllah, it is a blessing…

OK, I suppose… most of this philosophical discourse is literally a mind play… it takes you to a point where you could barely agree with any position because its either too surreal, too senseless or maybe too good to be true. I have to say that it is difficult to digest all of these things that I’m currently reading… perhaps, no one could really understand what I'm blabbering about in this post... but I guess the virtue is not just in the understanding of texts but as well as the impact it makes to the reality of life… architecture always teaches me something new about life… :)

p/s: I heard that love can build a bridge… really? I wonder why we need structural engineers…XD

Saturday, March 20, 2010

It has been a while since I last posted anything here… It’s such a hectic and tough semester… I pray to Allah to bestow on me strength to breeze through and do well for this semester…

This is my fourth year (first year master to be specific) in architecture… as I contemplate over it, it has been such a wonderful journey learning architecture… architecture is different from many other courses in so many ways… first, we don’t have many exams (especially in RMIT), second, we don’t really sleep at nights in extreme cases for days, many of us are big fans of caffeine (coffee, redbulls, gatorade, mother,v etc) most have at least 2 computers or in some cases reside in the computer labs so they can ‘own’ the public computers , we get bruises and cuts around hands and fingers (so me!), we eat sandwiches during lectures (is this included?), our readings cut across all fields because to us everything has ‘something’ to do with architecture, most subjects don’t require text books but we were forced to read novels sometimes etc. etc…. ok dah la tu…

Sebenarnya nak kongsi benda lain…

What has architecture taught me?

This is not about architecture as an academic course, it is more to life in general... to begin with, how do we perceive education influences it’s outcome… if we see schools/universities education as only a requirement that we need to pass through to gain some status in society, yes… we may achieve the desired-status… but to me, it is beyond certificates and recognition… architecture teaches me more than how to be an architect… so here are some lessons for life from architecture school…

1. Allah is above all things

-Ideas and inspiration… we all knew where are they from?

-Great efforts sometimes don’t result in great achievements and vice versa…

2. Patience

-Staying up all night long to do the same thing over and over- it’s not an easy thing

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Now, the school has commenced… workloads flooded in like a storm… By the way, it was my first time experiencing a hail storm yesterday… I never knew that the hailstorms produce a sound like an orchestra of castanets… it was indeed a little scary, but calming in a peculiar way… how unusual! But I heard that quite a number of people was injured by the hails… luckily I was home all day yesterday…

It’s been raining these few days… My, how I love a rainy day… it’s just beautiful and calming… I was caught in the rain during my site visit last Friday… But, instead of finding a shelter to wait for the rain to calm, I umbrella-less just walked through it…seriously, it made me feel so good… btw, It was raining lightly, “cute-rain” as Oya would say… It wasn’t like, pouring… I’m not stupid to get myself all wet… though I’m a bit eccentric ,maybe… haha…

I have this obscure assignment regarding ‘ambiguity’… I was too absorbed by reading and thinking on this particular issue that I started to feel everything around me is so ambiguous… I started to feel more and more uncertain regarding many aspects of life… (maybe this is why some ulama’ consider studying philosophy as makruh) I suppose, other circumstances/events that happened around my life might as well contribute to that… also, maybe… those days, I was a little ignorant… but having an understanding of the idea of ambiguity shakes me to reality… Oh my… suddenly I feel tomorrow is so blurry… suddenly second thoughts is just as important as the first thought!

Nonetheless, Alhamdulillah that I’m a Muslim… On top of all the uncertainties that I might feel about life, there is a faith in me. Not the kind of mutual faith between creatures, but a faith upon the Creator and His perfect religion, Islam… It is doubtless, vivid and strong… inshaAllah.

Therefore, the mystery of life, it’s ambiguity and all would not discourage me to move on but would only make my dependence to my Lord strong and everlasting, inshaAllah. Dear tomorrow, you could be as ambiguous as you please, but I would work and supplicate to my Lord who created you, to make you a better day for me and make me a better person for you. Ameen.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Indeed, Allah is above all things... We planned and we tried, but sometimes things just don't go our way... As human, we are by creation subjected to tests... Yes, the eyes that see or the mind that understands is never equal to the heart that feels or the soul that experiences... I'm worst at giving advices as I'm afraid that I myself would not act accordingly... But I pray for you... to be strong and brave... I know that you have a very kind-heart and how much you are willing to give, but do fight for your right...

Monday, March 1, 2010

Come to think of a future. I see a little cottage in a broad meadow... colourful flowers and bright sky... when night falls, there will be many stars shining above me... and right next to me is a crescent moon...

Gaaaaaa... mengarut apaaa?

I'm so sleepy...

I shouldn't sleep

I don't want to sleep

Because if I do, I won't be able to sleep early tonight...

...will end up in sleeping after fajr tomorrow...

So instead of sleeping,

I decided to do some thinkings...

...but I end up here, writing nonsense...

such as...

I'm in love...

with autumn!

... Salam to my favourite season... she is finally here again, after a long voyage to the north... yay!...